Recent Advances in Novel Drug Delivery Systems

Drug delivered can have significant effect on its efficacy. Some drugs have an optimum concentration range with in which maximum benefit is derived and concentrations above (or) below the range can be toxic or produce no therapeutic effect. Various drug delivery and drug targeting systems are currently under development. The main goal for developing such delivery systems is to minimize drug degradation and loss, to prevent harmful side effects and to increase bioavailability. Targeting is the ability to direct the drug loaded system to the site of interest. Among drug carrier one can name soluble polymers, microparticles made of insoluble (or) biodegradable natural and synthetic polymers, microcapsules, cells, cell ghosts, lipoproteins, liposomes and micelles. Two major mechanisms can be distinguished for addressing the desired sites for drug release, (a) Passive and (b) Active targeting. Controlled drug carrier systems such as micellar solutions, vescicles and liquid crystal dispersions, as well as nanoparticle dispersions consisting of small particles of 10 – 400 nm show great promise as drug delivery systems. Hydrogels are three dimensional, hydrophilic, polymer networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Buckyballs, a novel delivery system with 60 carbon atoms formed in the shape of hollow ball. They are other type’s namely bucky babies, fuzzy balls, gadofullereness, and giant fullerenes. Nanoparticles can be classified as nano tubes, nano wires, nano cantilever, nanoshells, quantum dots, nano pores. Researchers at north western university using gold particles to develop ultra sensitive detection systems for DNA and protein markers associated with many forms of cancer, including breast and prostrate cancer. Drug loaded erythrocytes is one of the growing and potential systems for delivery of drugs and enzymes.